Nicotine Impact on Adolescent Brain Development

Studies have also concluded that during adolescent years of development, the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which controls attention and behavior, has yet to fully mature.¹³ Nicotine introduced during early brain development can stimulate a gateway for potentially addictive habits. Acetylcholine and glutamate signaling receptors, that assist with nerve cell communication from the prefrontal cortex are altered during nicotine usage in adolescence. Acetylcholine receptors assist with attention and muscle contraction, whereas glutamate receptors are the primary excitatory neurotransmitter assisting with learning and memory.¹³ Nicotine can increase attention deficits behaviors impacting, learning, ability to focus, mood stability, impulse and inhibitory control. Exposure to nicotine products at a young age elevates the risk of addiction due to the sensitivity of the brain, by presenting molecular changes that alter functional synapses in the prefrontal cortex, impacting permanent cognitive brain capacity and memory.¹⁴ Studies also indicated the prefrontal cortex nicotine response affects gene expression and neuronal morphology involvement including vesicle release, transcription, cytoskeleton dynamics, and signal transduction. All of which impact long-term adaptations with impaired structural and functional abilities and poorer cognitive performance. Psychiatric disorders have also been linked to nicotine usage later in life, when introduced at adolescent developmental stages.^13,14